The first two years of go‑karting were a little disorganised, rules being made on the day to suit the entries. A national organisation to manage rules did not exist in those days. In Christchurch clubs were Ellesmere, Christchurch, Excelsior, Mid‑Canterbury, Drivers’ Own, Pioneer & Banks Peninsula, plus a number of motorcycle clubs had go‑karting sections. Racing was on paddocks and circuits were formed with a few hay bales and wooden stakes. Schools ran fund raising events and invited the go‑karts along for a run.

An early kart

A Mercury powered kart at
Rangiora (1960)

In 1960 the first New Zealand Kart Championships were contested at the Bell Block in New Plymouth and at the same time a meeting of interested clubs was held to form the New Zealand Go‑Kart Federation.

In the early 60s, karts were mainly powered by chainsaw engines, the McCulloch being the most popular but twin Distans and Pioneers were very common and there were modified outboard engines such as the Mercury that went very well.

The basic kart design with no suspension was the norm but a number tried out different forms of sophisticated suspensions but with limited success.

Performance parts were difficult to obtain and very expensive, the main supply being from America. Our customs’ system was made up of dictatorial type people in uniforms who took the law to the letter and beyond it. They were also known to walk around the counter with their pocket pushed open so that beer money could be dropped into it to make things a little easier for the karter to get his goods.

Burnham Domain (1960)

Karts at a Stock Car Scramble
event at Prebbleton (1963)

A few got away with it, but not many. Wheels were the wheelbarrow type and tyres were industrial types off wheelbarrows, concrete mixers and fork lifts. The Motorways Company in Christchurch which retreaded car tyres retreaded these tyres into knobblies which were suitable for the dirt. When karters started racing on hard surfaces Motorways were there to assist and retreaded the slicks.

At this time there were a couple of farm houses about a kilometre away, but the nearest residential housing was some four kilometres away.

In 1961 the first sealed circuit was built. It was a disaster. Built at the bottom of the shingle pit it suffered from flooding at regular intervals.

The Christchurch Kart Club committee went back to the drawing board. Everyone knew someone who knew someone else who could build a track. From late 1963 and into 1964 a 400m track was built.

Carrs Road Raceway just before the
official opening. The original track
can be seen in the background.

The late Mick Connelly (MP) right with TV
camera man John Benson (April 1964).
Note the independent suspension on
Benson's kart.

The minimum width of the track was to be 7.5 metres. This is the reason why Carrs Road Raceway has such a wide main straight and very wide track, something which has been retained over years of alterations to the circuit.

April 1964 saw the opening of the 400m sealed raceway at Carrs Road. It was a big event. The then Patron, the late Mick Connelly (MP), opened the track and had a race against media people from the Christchurch Press, Christchurch Star, television and the local radio station 3ZB.

There were entries for the event from all around New Zealand. Most competitors still had wheelbarrow wheels but found very quickly that a slick tyre gave better traction. (This was nearly 10 years before Formula One constructors realised a slick tyre [no tread] was better.)

The top competitors had imported from America or Australia five inch (the current wheel size) wheels and tyres and these competitors had a distinct advantage.

1964 South Island Championships (July).
Barry Jonathan leading Robin Wilkinson
in the 200cc class (Twin 100cc McCullochs)

Immediately a manufacture in Palmerston North started making Aluminium wheels with steel outer rims and the famous Wards mechanical disc brakes. The shoes or brake pucks as they were called were about the size of a 50 cent piece. Adjustment was gained by putting a halfcrown which in those days would buy 2 bottles of beer in behind the puck.

Problems were encountered with the original circuit because of the series of very tight corners at the end of the main straight known as the ‘Dog Leg’.

During the 70s karting went through a decline. Motor sport had difficulty accepting the sport of karting. A demonstration at Lady Wigram had the 100cc McCullochs clocking close on 150kmph and a 250cc Suzuki T20 hitting over 200kmph on the main straight, a lap time that would have put the karter on grid 5 of the Formula 5000. Did we get credit, NO. The speed system was not working properly or the time keepers got it wrong. A fun run on the speedway after an Ivan Mauger Solo Bike International saw the karts running at 18 seconds a lap, 1 second faster than the bikes. It took some years to get back on the Speedway!

Bruce Mills on his way to the 1968
National title in Open B (Up to 250cc)

1972 NZ Championships 100cc
McCulloch Light. Chris Lamden (left) and
the late Richard Tapper heading into
the new hairpin.

During the mid seventies the club ran into all sorts of problems. The council decided to turn the Carrs Road Reserve into a rubbish dump and for many years had to put up with rubbish, flies, rats and smell. When the dump closed we had one of our wettest seasons ever in Christchurch and the raceway went under water for 6 months. Considerable damage was evident and the circuit was resealed, firstly in chip seal and later in hot mix.

Rothmans had supported karting nationally but withdrew this in 1973. It was then up to the host clubs to find sponsorship for National events.

In 1974 one of the biggest changes to happen to the sport of karting was the race format. The ’74 Nationals were contested over three predetermined grids and a final – the final being the result. The event organiser approached Jim Beam for sponsorship who agreed but on two conditions. The competitors wore the Jim Beam bibs, which were numbered and Television filmed the 16 finals. It happened. Unfortunately only 3 races were ever screened. The sponsorship was for product. And plenty of it.

100cc McCulloch light lined up
for their final

125cc Gearbox head into their final.
The bibs were all numbered and related
to their grid position.

In the early 80s interest in karting picked up and membership started to increase. The club rooms were too small so an extension was planned. Again it was who you knew. Telephone poles were sourced to support the wall for the extension. In one of the biggest working bees ever, the old wall was cut out and stepped out along the new floor joists. By 4pm the extension was closed in and the building was secure with roof and walls. The club put on lunch for the working bee. One member was sent to the local fish & chip shop with an order for $150.00 worth of fish, patties & chips and 6 bottles of sauce.

The committee decided that “up the hill” was the way to go. Fourteen committee members stood at the top of the hill and said this is where the rubbish dump finished, so this will be the outside of the corner. This increased the circuit length to 620m. Not the longest kart track in the country, but definitely one of the best.

To open the extended circuit in 1985 the club promoted the Versatile Garages Not the New Zealand Championships.

Juniors at the top of the hill in 1988

Juniors coming up the hill just after major
repairs to the hill section. Approx 1995.

Early in 1995 the club went to the Christchurch City Council (our new landlords) with a proposal for an extension to the circuit. With our lease being for 33 years with the right of renewal for another 33 years and the urban sprawl heading into the Halswell area, the Council felt this may be the politically correct time to relocate the Christchurch Kart Club, possibly to some land next to the Ruapuna Park complex. The Christchurch City Council had set a target for 1997. The club intended to build a circuit to CIK (world controlling body of karting) specifications so that it may host true international meetings with the year 2000 in mind.

The proposed compromise at this date (October 2003) is that the Club has 120 days from 9am to 5pm except on race days which can be extended to 6pm, plus one day during the week from midday to 5pm.

It is interesting to note that in 1998 a letter was sent to the Halswell Resident’s Association with a similar offer which was never replied to.

Ian Love

2002. Rotax Heavy into the corner at
the top of the hill.